Hosted by: John Grinde

Apple launches new Apple TV, new iPod products, iTunes Ping a disappointment, Oxford Dictionary may go paperless, EPA proposes new fuel economy labels, and more...

This past Wednesday, September 1, 2010, Apple announced their new Apple TV. The new device is completely different than the previous version--it is more like a Roku player than the previous Apple TV. It is also 80% smaller because it has no internal hard drive. Instead, it is a streaming-only device. This differentiates it from the Mac Mini, which in the latest revision received an HDMI port, making it a great HTPC. The new Apple TV streams movies via Netflix (subscription required).

The new iPod shuffle now has physical buttons--I have no idea why Apple removed them in the first place. I also have no idea why the Shuffle is even produced, but that is another story.

The new iPod nano is a bit controversial. It has a multi-touch screen instead of having physical buttons for song selection and pause. It is a surprise it even has volume buttons for that matter. I wrote a post over at my blog (which I rarely update) entitled "Apple's Redesign of the iPod nano is a Mistake." This is the iPod people use while running, working out, etc. If they want a touch screen, it is not that much to ask them to get an iPod touch. Besides, the iPod nano does not even run apps. Did I mention that they axed the camera? There is no point of having a touch screen on the new iPod nano.

The iPod touch update did not "wow" me. It was pretty much what we expected. A camera (two cameras, actually), retina display, 720p video recording, and FaceTime. And this new thing called Game Center, a social gaming network. Somewhat like Xbox Live, but free, and obviously scaled down. If you have a 2nd or 3rd generation iPod touch right now, unless you really want the camera, I would hold off on this update.

Ping--probably one of the stupidest things Apple has ever attempted. Overpromising and underdelivering, this is a flop in progress. Promising Facebook support, users were quickly disappointed when it did not work. This actually was not Apple's fault, Facebook decided not to allow Apple to use their free APIs. However, give Apple credit, the service did top one million users within 48 hours.

Verizon has announced data plans for prepaid users. Great news, as this will work on all current Droid models.

The Oxford English Dictionary may go paperless due to lack of demand for the printed version.

Digg users are displeased with the new Digg 4.

EPA proposes new fuel economy labels.